Real Madrid have surrendered their lead at the top of La Liga after failing to win for a third consecutive match. On Sunday night, the Spanish giants were held to a 1–1 draw away to Girona, following a dramatic 2–2 draw against Elche and a frustrating goalless stalemate with Rayo Vallecano in the previous two fixtures.
The setback comes at a crucial moment, especially after Barcelona’s victory over Alavés the night before. The Catalan club climbed to the summit with 34 points from 14 matches, pushing Madrid down to second place. A win against Girona would have restored Real’s position at the top, yet despite dominating large periods of the match, Xabi Alonso’s side failed to secure all three points.
Real Madrid controlled 60 per cent of the possession and attempted an impressive 25 shots on goal at the Estadi Municipal de Montilivi. However, their dominance resulted in only a single goal, and that too from the penalty spot. Kylian Mbappé converted the spot-kick in the 67th minute to bring Madrid level, but they could not find the decisive winner. Girona had taken the lead just before half-time, with Azzedine Ounahi striking in the 45th minute.
Following the match, Mbappé expressed both disappointment and determination in an Instagram post. He wrote that the team did not achieve the result they wanted but emphasised that the league race remains open and that there is still a long way to go. He insisted that Real must raise their performance levels and demonstrate their true strength as a collective unit.
Manager Xabi Alonso echoed similar sentiments, expressing confidence that Madrid would recover from this difficult spell. He praised the players’ effort but acknowledged that it was not enough to influence the result. Alonso added that the squad must work together, identify their mistakes, and maintain their hunger to win away matches as the long season progresses.